Covid-19 Antibody Gt

The more the fear of the pandemic is growing, the more Corona antibody tests are getting on high demand. The third wave is knocking at the door, and the necessities of a Covid antibody test can be prominently seen in such concerning hours. Let this article help you get the answers of some of the most useful questions so far in this regard.

What are antibodies?

You may consider antibodies as the most useful part of the natural immune response. Antibodies are one kind of protein that is produced by the immune system of our body. To be mentioned, every type of antibody has its specific functions and targets. The Hepatitis antibodies will not be protecting your body from the attacks of Covid-19, as the Covid antibody categories are different.

What is a Covid-19 antibody test?

There are many things to understand about the most demanding test right now. To be mentioned, IgG, IgM and IgA are three of the most common antibodies. Antibodies can also be generated after someone has been vaccinated. The basic purpose of a Covid antibody test is to determine the presence of these antibodies. 

Why do we need Covid antibody testing?

It is impossible for any of us to know if there are any existing Covid antibodies flowing in the bloodstream without going for an antibody test for Covid. However, this is not the only reason why medical experts consider this test as an essential one. A Covid antibody test can help you know if you have ever been infected with the deadly coronavirus at any point of time in the past. On the other hand, this test can effectively help you know how immune you are to prevent any future infection that may take place in your body. Specifically for people with a compromised immunity system, this test is performed to check the effectiveness of the vaccine on the person’s body.

Are Covid-19 antibody tests accurate?

As per the information fetched, the accuracy rate of Covid-19 antibody tests is 99.8%. Undoubtedly, you may rely on the accuracy of a Covid antibody test.

How does the antibody test work?

Antibody tests are also known as serological tests. Generally, the test is performed once a person has completely recovered from the deadly respiratory disease. A medical expert collects a certain amount of blood sample from the patient, on which the following test is performed. Soon after the test is performed, the experts come to know that you have grown antibodies or not.

How many types of antibody tests are there and how accurate are they?

A Laboratory Test: This is performed once the healthcare professional brings the blood sample from the infected patient to perform necessary tests.
Rapid point of care test: this test can be performed using finger-prick blood. It can be done at home.

It goes without saying that the accuracy varies sometimes. A study has shown that tests that usually look for IgM or IgG antibodies are having lower sensitivity. Apparently, the accuracy percentage is actually satisfactory in most cases.

What is the difference between Covid RT-PCR and antibody tests?

There are still a huge number of people who do not really have any prominent idea about the basic difference between these two. However, the most mentionable difference is, Covid RT-PCR test is performed to detect the presence of Covid-19 in a person’s body. On the other hand, a Corona antibody test is performed to determine the presence of antibodies in that person. It means, an RT-PCR test helps to determine whether the person is currently infected or not and an antibody test helps to know that the person had ever been infected at any point of time in the past or not.

What do the results mean to you?

The reactive test results signify the presence of anti-SARS-COV 2 and it means that the person had the disease at any point of time in the past before.
Non-reactive test results signify the absence of the virus, which means that the person had no exposure to the virus.

How much does the Covid antibody test cost?

You don’t really need to carry any mountain-sized expense to go for a Covid-19 antibody test. Knowingly, a Covid antibody test cost is approximately between 300-650 rupees. 

When can this test be done?

It will be the wisest decision to get the test performed at least 2 weeks soon after the symptoms have started to get visible in you. As a matter of fact, the timing may affect the antibody test accuracy.

If I have a positive Covid-19 antibody test, am I protected against future infections?

A positive Covid-19 antibodies test report clearly signifies the presence of the antibodies, which means your immune system will be able to fight future infections.

If I presently don’t have Covid-19 symptoms, should I get the test?

There are still a huge number of infected people who are asymptomatic but may turn another person infected. This is the reason why it is always recommended to everyone to go for a Covid antibodies test at any reliable pathology laboratory.